35 years finishing in last. Everyone complains that we put too much stock in Tomlin’s nonlosing season but how about that? The Berlin Wall and USSR still existed the last time Pittsburgh finished in last. I was six. There were 28 teams in the league. Mike Tomlin was getting his driver’s license. No one on the current roster was alive. I know a lot of fans will call it a worthless stat because it’s not a Super Bowl but you know what we still got the most of those.
The offensive line had a dominant performance. The one to punch of Harris and Warren emasculated the Seahawks’ defense. Totaling 40 carries, 197 yards, and 3 TDS. George Pickens had another monster game with seven catches and 131 yards. DJ added four catches for 76 yards, while Patty had 3 for 44. The receiving talent has put together two great games and has catapulted the offense forward. This offense with an innovative young coordinator who can mold them will be something to see next year regardless of who’s under center. Mason has gotten the best out of them but this Saturday’s game will be the test against a formidable defense. Baltimore may rest stars but they are still a better defense than he’s faced. I’ve supported Mason since Ben got hurt and thought he had the tools to be an NFL starter. I just don’t think he’s better than Kenny. He was number three for a reason and that reason could be the same reason Kenny wasn’t as successful to start his career, Matt Canada. Canada’s system was designed (awfully) to work well with mobile quarterbacks of which Kenny and Mitch are better than Mason. With Canada gone the play calling has been more drop back, even in Kenny’s sparing time. We have seen backups catch lightning in a bottle all season. All teams had a chance at Mason this offseason and no one wanted him. Just like Josh Dobbs, Jake Browning, and Tommy DeVito, it’ll come to an end for Mason and we’ll be glad to have Kenny next year with a new OC and lease on life.
On the defensive side of the ball, it wasn’t one of their better performances but for once it didn’t need to be as the offense put up another 30. Rookie Nick Herbig did have a strip sack fumble recovery that led to the field goal that put Pittsburgh up 10 with under 4:30 to play. The Seahawks did, however, bring it back to within a score at about the 2-minute warning but couldn’t recover the onside kick or stop the Steelers’ offense as they ran out the clock.